When Darkness Falls
by Corporal Cupcake
Summary: Completed! Someone from Sara's past returns only his new occupation is a serial killer and he's picking off women resembling Sara. Will Nicky save the day? NS. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. I'm just borrowing them to use for your entertainment, and I'm not making any money off this so, don't sure me. lol.  
  
A/N: I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this, so I'm open to suggestions. Please review and let me know what you think.  
  
**********  
  
It was a beautiful night, Sara thought to herself as she stepped out of her Tahoe and onto the dry, gray pavement of the CSI parking lot. One of the first in a long time. If you looked up you could see millions of tiny stars shimmering against the dark sky. Which was rare to see in Los Vegas because of all the bright lights from the casinos. The moon was almost full. If she remembered correctly, it was scheduled to be full tomorrow night. If you looked closely and used your imagination a bit, you could see the illusion of the man in the moon.  
  
She took a deep breath, and soaked up the clear night air. Night was her favorite time of the day. That was probably one of the reasons that she loved her job so much. She got to sleep during the day, and stay up all night. It was hard to get used to at first, but now it was routine. She found it just as hard to sleep during the night as most other people find it hard to sleep during the day.  
  
She slowly headed into the building, trying to wait as long as possible before she had to face tonight's cases. She loved her job, because she was able to bring justice and closer to the victims and their families, plus she was good at it, but she still had difficulty looking at the victim's face and not getting emotionally involved. This was her only problem, and she envied Grissom for his ability to never get emotionally involved. He did it so well, but I guess that comes from never being emotional with anyone, period.  
  
Now, Nick. He was another story. He was able to feel emotion but hide it very well. You could tell by the look in his eyes when he first saw the victim, revealing sympathy for the victim and anger for the person who did this, but then that was it. He could mask his feelings, and get on with the job.  
  
She entered the building and headed straight for the break room. It was nice night so she had only worn a light jacket and wasn't in the mood to take it off. "I'll probably have to go get it in a few minutes anyways." She thought out loud, realizing how strange it was to hear her voice in the empty hall.  
  
As she neared the break room she could hear Nick and Warrick arguing over who was the stronger. Go figures. They were really good friends, but they always found something to compete over. She had no doubt that in about five minutes they'd be on the floor having a push-up competition.  
  
She entered the break room and noticed that Grissom was the only one absent. Even Greg was there, adding his two cents worth every so often. When Catherine noticed that she was standing in the doorway, a relieved look spread over her face.  
  
"Boy, am I glad you're here." She exclaimed. "I was beginning to think I was going to be stuck with those three all night."  
  
Sara laughed at her comment and took notice of how good Nick looked. She was always physically attracted to him, who wasn't, but it never got past that. She wasn't very sociable, and she could never really be herself around guys she liked. She always ended up saying something stupid, or doing something stupid. He never seemed to have that problem. He knew just what to say, and when to say it.  
  
At that moment Grissom entered with tonight's cases. He had two folders in his hand and handed one to Sara and kept the other one.  
  
"Tonight Warrick, Nick and Sara are together, and Catherine you're with me. Cat, I'll meet you at the car." He said before leaving the room.  
  
"Aren't you lucky tonight." Catherine said to Sara as she walked past her towards the door. "You get to work with Abbott and Costello."  
  
Sara shot her a warning look, and Catherine turned and walked through the door with a grin on her face.  
  
"Come on Sara." Nick said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "It's not going to be so bad."  
  
Warrick just grinned as they walked down the hall, Nick with his arm still around Sara.  
  
As the headed out to the parking lot, Nick and Warrick got into another argument about who was going to drive. "This is pathetic." Sara thought to herself, and waited for the opportune moment and grabbed the keys Nick held in his hand.  
  
"I'm driving." She said firmly and climbed into the drivers seat. "And one of you are sitting up front with me. I'm separating you two now because I know I'm going to have to do it in about 5 minutes, so save me the trouble, and please don't argue over who sits where." Sara pleaded. They were going to drive her insane by the time the night was over.  
  
********** A/N: Yeah, it's kinda short but I was dying to write something and I'm not sure what I'm going to do next so it might be a little while. I know it's kinda boring but it'll get more interesting. lol. I'm going to get some pairing going soon too. Please review and tell me what you think so far, and if you have any suggestions or anything. You can e-mail me too at corporalcupcake253@hotmail.com and put fanfiction or something in the subject so I know it's not junk mail. lol. I love getting e-mails too, so feel free. 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews everyone!! Sorry I haven't written much lately. I got the CSI computer game, and now I am obsessed!! If you haven't played it, go get it now. It's awesome. lol. I'm glad you like it so far. I should apologize in advance, I don't know a lot about Las Vegas. I've never been there, so all I know I've learned from T.V, books and movies, and trust me, that's not much. All I really know is that there's a lot of casinos, or is that just a stereotype? Anyways, a lot of the information about Las Vegas in this story will be vague, and if I've made any mistakes, just let me know and I'll try not to make the same one twice, and I'll learn something. ( So, anyways, on with the story!!!  
  
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It had been a long night. She recalled the double murder and shivered. She couldn't get the image of fear portrayed by their faces even after they were dead out of her mind. They lifted a number of fingerprints and countless hairs, but they wouldn't be able to find out anything for sure until Greg was through processing it. She couldn't prove it yet, but she had a feeling it was the work of a serial killer they had been chasing for moths now. The MO was the same. All the victims were around 5'8", and had dark brown hair. They were all female and in their late twenties. There was evidence of sexual assault in each case, and they all died from massive blood loss, from a cut in their throat. They had nothing else in common besides this. This was really frustrating.  
  
"Sara?" A voice came from behind her. She turned around and saw Grissom standing in the doorway.  
  
"Hey Gris. What's up?"  
  
"You do realize shift ended two hours ago."  
  
"Oh, yeah. Just doing some overtime."  
  
"You're almost out of overtime for this month."  
  
"I know."  
  
"It's not healthy to be working all the time. You should go home and get some sleep." He suggested.  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Sara."  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Ok." He responded before leaving the room.  
  
Soon after he left Nick came in.  
  
"Found anything?" He asked her, obviously curious to know what she was still doing here.  
  
"Not yet. What are you still doing here?"  
  
"I was just about to leave. You should go get some rest."  
  
"Not you too. I get enough of that from Grissom." She regretted the way it sounded before she had even finished saying it.  
  
"Hey, we're just worried about you, that's all." Nick replied, looking hurt.  
  
"I'm sorry Nicky. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I'm just really frustrated with this case." She really felt bad.  
  
"Come on. I'll drive you home."  
  
This time she didn't object. She let him help her to her feet and guide her through the door.  
  
**********  
  
The drive home was really quite. Neither of them said much. She was never any good at small talk so she didn't really know what to say. It wasn't long before they reached her apartment.  
  
"Thanks for the ride Nick." She said, giving him a smile.  
  
"No problem." He returned her smile.  
  
"Sara?" He asked before she shut the door.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"Ok. See ya tomorrow."  
  
"Bye."  
  
She shut the door with a dull thud, and slowly headed up the concrete steps to her apartment building. What was he going to ask her? She continued on her way up to her apartment pondering over the same question.  
  
She unlocked her door, and headed for the kitchen laying her bag on the navy blue couch and went to make some coffee. She turned on her CD player and put in a Kenny G CD. It always helped her relax and clear her head after a night like tonight. It wasn't long before the soft saxophone music filled the room. She headed for the bedroom and changed into red plaid pajama paints and a black tank top. By this time the coffee was ready, so she pored herself a glass and sat down on the couch and picked up a mystery novel she was in the process of reading. She loved mystery stories. It was quite obvious too, by the number of mystery novels she had on her shelf along with the many books on forensics.  
  
She tried to concentrate on the book, but her mind kept wandering back to the case. What connected all the victims? He couldn't just choose random people that had similar features, could he? Maybe that was the answer and they would never catch the guy.  
  
She finally gave up and headed to bed. She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep. It wouldn't be long till the inevitable dreams started, that she often got after a new case. Grissom had said in the beginning that they would eventually go away, but they never did. There was always a new scenario to be added to her growing list. The worst was when a bunch of them came together to form one massive dream. It was horrible what you're subconscious could sometimes create.  
  
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A/N: Sorry that not much happened. I'm still debating on where I'm going with this. I have some ideas, but I haven't found one that really sticks out. Please review and tell me what you think, and if you have any suggestions or anything, you're more than welcome to e-mail me at corporalcupcake253@hotmail.com. Thanks everyone, and have a great day! 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey everyone!! Sorry to keep you waiting this long, but I couldn't decide what to have happen next. I must have started about 4 versions of this chapter, but I think I've finally got it ( I'm in need of a better title though, so any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks for all the awesome reviews. You guys gave me confidence to continue this story. I hope you all like it!!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (no matter how much I'd like too) And I got part of my idea for this story from an episode, and I don't really want to say which one cause it will give my away my surprise. ;)  
  
*********************************************************************  
  
She awoke from a long, restless sleep with a start when the phone rang. She leaned over and grabbed it off the oak nightstand on its second ring.  
  
"Hello." She said sleepily into the receiver.  
  
"Is this Sara Sidle?" A voice asked her.  
  
"Yes." she replied, uncertainty clearly showing in the vibrations of her voice.  
  
"I have a surprise waiting for you."  
  
"Who's this?"  
  
Click.  
  
Ok, that was odd. She thought to herself as she hung up the phone. She glanced at her clock radio and realized how late it was. She hadn't intended to sleep this late. It had to be a record, but she still felt tired.  
  
She lid back down on the bed for a moment, soaking up the beam up sunlight that shone in through her window, and played shadows across the baby blue walls of her bedroom. Her mind wandered back to the phone call, and she started to get nervous. What was that all about? Why was this surprise he was talking about? While she was turning this question over in her mind the phone rang again, and she jumped.  
  
She slowly reached over, and cautiously picked up the phone.  
  
"Uh. hello?" She said nervously.  
  
"Sara?" A familiar voice asked.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief. "Nick."  
  
"Are you ok?" He asked, concerned about the manner in which she answered the phone.  
  
"I'm fine." She lied. No use worrying everyone over what could be nothing.  
  
"Ok." Nick replied, unconvinced.  
  
"What did you want?" She asked, growing slightly impatient.  
  
"Oh, there's been another murder. MO's the same as the ones we're working on. It's probably the same guy. Grissom wants us to touch bases with Ecklie as soon as possible." He replied, emphasizing his distaste with the last sentence. Everyone hated Ecklie.  
  
"Ecklie's working this case?" Sara asked, slightly annoyed. That's the last thing she wanted to have to deal with, especially on overtime.  
  
"Yeah. Estimated time of death about 2 hours ago, so of course dayshift got it, and Ecklie jumped at the chance to have the opportunity to catch a wanted serial killer that we have so far been unable to catch." Nick said with disgust.  
  
"Ok, meet you there in an hour." She replied before they both said goodbye and hung up.  
  
She slowly climbed out of the bed, still thinking about the case. This was unusual. He usually struck at night, and never this close together. By the sounds of things, their case was taking a turn for the worst, especially since Ecklie was now involved.  
  
She grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the shower. Once she was undressed, she stepped under the warm water and let it run over her skin, causing goose bumps to appear where the hot water made contact with her cool skin. It felt so nice, she could have stayed there for hours, but of course, she couldn't keep Nick waiting.  
  
She washed her hair, and quickly dried off, and got dressed. She made a cup of coffee before grabbing her jacket and sunglasses and heading out the door.  
  
It was a gorgeous day. The sun was a bright ball of fire, glowing in the pale blue sky. It beat down on the dry, cracked pavement, with all the force of a bat on a baseball. Summer was definitely here. The birds chirped on the electrical wires, each one with it's own unique voice, and tune. She climbed into her Tahoe and headed down the street on her way to CSI.  
  
She reached the building about 25 minutes later, and parked her Tahoe an empty parking space, next to the building. When she entered the building she was greeted by Nick who was headed in her direction.  
  
"Hey. Right on time, as usual." He remarked, grinning at her.  
  
She just smiled at his comment. "Where's Warrick?" She asked, noticing that his vehicle wasn't parked outside.  
  
"Oh, he couldn't make it." He replied, as they headed down the hallway towards Ecklie's office. "He promised to take his nephew to a ball game that he had to postpone once already." He finished as they reached the gray metal door of Ecklie's office. The colour definitely suited his personality: Cold, colourless and uncaring. Always like a shark waiting to pounce on it's unexpecting prey.  
  
They paused for a moment, and took a deep breath to relax before entering the room. Ecklie's office was pretty standard. A wooden desk stood in the center of the room, with a pile of papers on it and a coffee mug, no pictures of a wife or children. Behind the desk was a filing cabinet and a bookcase.  
  
"Ah, Ms. Sidle and Mr. Stokes. Come in and sit down." He said gesturing to the two chairs opposite the desk. They both sat down and waited for him to continue.  
  
"I see from the files that you have been after this guy for a few months now, he's killed 6 women and you still have no leads." He said with a smirk that made her blood boil.  
  
She calmed herself down before she spoke again. "Well, we have some information but he's left no clues behind. We have no idea who this guy is. There's been no connection between the crimes or the victims except their appearance."  
  
"Oh, really?" He asked grinning.  
  
Sara's heart sunk. Ecklie had found something they'd missed. He would never let them live this down.  
  
"Ok Ecklie. What did you find?" She asked slightly annoyed.  
  
"I could not believe that you missed this, Sara Sidle. I've heard many great things about you from Grissom, while defending your honor."  
  
"Shut up Ecklie, and tell us what you've found." She was really getting annoyed now.  
  
"Just think, I've only been on this case for 3 hours and I may have a lead." He smirked. He was enjoying this.  
  
"Ecklie." Nick said, obviously aggravated.  
  
"Ok, ok. There's a pattern in the victim's deaths. Each death is 2 weeks after the one before, except todays." He smiled, pleased at his finding.  
  
"So how does that help us find him? " Nick asked, aggravated. It was great find but it had to be Ecklie's. How could they have missed that? "We now know when he'll strike next, but we don't know who or where."  
  
"I'm getting to it. The MO is the same for today's case, but other evidence is present." He opened a file and removed some pictures from it and handed them to Sara. "Do any of these look familiar to you?"  
  
"She took the pictures from him and shifted through them. The first one was of the victim. The second was of the ground next to her. Her face paled when she saw what was written in the ground. "Happy 3 month anniversary. I love you Sara Sidle." She continued to look through the pictures and came across another one with an all to familiar watch lying next to the victim. She suddenly felt really weak and faint. She dropped the pictures to the floor. Nick, who had noticed her change in colour as she looked at the pictures, was at her side in a flash. He glanced at the pictures, now lying scattered across the floor, only the one of the massage stood face up.  
  
"Excuse us please." He said to a very curious Ecklie. "We'll have to continue this discussion later." He stated before helping Sara to her feet, and guiding her through the door, down the hall, to the break room, which thankfully was unoccupied.  
  
"Sara, what's going on?" He asked in a soft tone. Her eyes looked so distant. "Sara?" He asked again.  
  
This seemed to bring her out of her trance. "What?" She asked Nick, looking really confused.  
  
"Sara, what's wrong. What were those pictures about?" He asked concerned.  
  
The thought of Blake back ruining her life all over again was terrifying. She started to shake. Nick sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her and held her. She relaxed into him and began to slowly stop shaking.  
  
"Where do I begin?" She asked.  
  
"Try the beginning."  
  
********************************************************************* A/N: Yeah I know you all hate me for leaving it there, lol, but I'm still working on the next part. I really wasn't sure about this chapter, so I'd be very grateful if you gave me your opinion. Good or bad, I think I can handle it. lol. If not, I'll learn too. Have a great day everyone!!! 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry I took so long to update. The past few months have been insane with school and work so I haven't had the time. I guess you've noticed the new title. (I like this one a lot better) I think this chapter got a bit screwed up with the details I had in the last one, so lets just pretend this is right. lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and haven't forgotten what's happened so far. Oh, and please take the time to review at the end. Thanks.  
  
************ She paused for a moment before starting. This wasn't going to be easy. She hadn't discussed this event with anyone before, not even her parents. She couldn't believe she was actually going to tell Nick. She took a deep breath and began.  
  
"Back when I lived in San Francisco, I dated this guy Blake McIntyre. It hadn't gotten too serious although I think he may have wanted it too. We frequently went on dates, but that's as far as it went. After some time, it seemed he was becoming obsessed. I've worked these cases long enough to know the signs. I confronted him and to make a long story short, I ended up leaving him." She paused to take a breath.  
  
Nick, who had been listening intently, didn't interrupt when she paused. He'd ask questions later.  
  
"I hadn't seen him for about 2 weeks after that, then the fun began." She said sarcastically. "I began to see him everywhere. Everywhere I went, he was there. At work, on my street, in front of my house, at the grocery store, everywhere. I called the police and reported a stalker, but even if they had caught him, it wouldn't hold up in court unless I had some evidence, which I unfortunately didn't. That's when I decided to get a transfer out of Las Vegas, and ended up here." She finished.  
  
Nick looked at her for a moment before he said anything. "So, what did this have to do with the case?" He asked, feeling very confused.  
  
"It all fits." She said, staring off in space. "We used to go out every two weeks, and it was Fridays too." She paused again. "Oh my God! It's definitely him. All the victims look similar to me. He's killing them on the same night's we went out. 3 years ago today was our 3 month anniversary. I gave him that watch."  
  
"We have to talk to Grissom." Nick stated, before standing up and hauling Sara to her feet.  
  
"He's not here remember? This isn't our shift. I think we're gonna be forced to talk to Ecklie."  
  
**********  
  
"This is interesting. We might be able to use you to catch this guy." Ecklie said looking at Sara.  
  
"No way!" Nick shouted, jumping out of his seat. "You are not going to use Sara as bait to catch a mad man."  
  
"This may be our chance." Ecklie retorted.  
  
"I won't let you endanger Sara's life."  
  
"But it could save the lives of many other women. After all, it's her he's after."  
  
"You're right." Sara said softly.  
  
"What?" Nick and Ecklie both said at the same time, and Nick looked at her open mouthed. "This is all my fault. It's my fault those women are dead. It's me he's after, not them."  
  
"It's not you're fault that this guy is insane. He's the one the killed them, not you."  
  
"But it's because of me." She said and ran out of the room, unwilling to let them see her cry.  
  
"Sara, wait!" Nick exclaimed, before chasing after her.  
  
She ran into the night, not daring to look back. She couldn't let Nick see her like this. She couldn't let anyone see her this vulnerable. She reached the park, and walked along the trail the led through the center of it. She had to think this through. She was responsible for the deaths of those women and who knows what Blake's going to do next. She had to do something to stop him, even if it meant putting her own life on the line.  
  
She was so lost in thought that she failed to notice when the first raindrops fell out of the blackened sky and splattered against her skin.  
  
*******  
Nick raced after her, nearly knocking Warrick down as he rounded the corner. "Wow. Where's the fire, man?" Warrick asked, looking slightly amused.  
  
"Have to. catch. Sara." Nick said, out of breath. "Help me find her. I'll explain on the way."  
  
The two of them ran outside and glanced around for some idea of where she might have gone. There was no sign of her. "Let's split up. I'll head towards the park, you can try down the street." Nick suggested.  
  
"Good luck." Warrick said as he dashed off down the sidewalk.  
  
"It was wrong of Ecklie to ask her to do this." Nick thought to himself as his feet pounded against the pavement. He couldn't stop thinking about how torn Sara must be right now. "She really feels this is her fault." He also realized how unsafe it was for her to be out on her own right now.  
  
"I hope she took her jacket." Nick thought out loud, as it began to rain.  
  
********  
  
By now the rain was pouring out of the heavens, and she was soaked to the skin. A flash of lightning split the sky, and it was closely followed by the low rumble of thunder. She was beginning to wish she had decided to take her car.  
  
Another lightning bolt shot through the sky above her, illuminating everything in its path. For a brief second she thought she saw a dark figure running towards her, but then she saw nothing. Blaming it on her imagination, she continued on towards the center of the park.  
  
She was walking for no more than 5 minutes when someone grabbed her from behind. She attempted a scream, but was interrupted by a hand being slapped over her mouth and a sharp object being placed at her throat.  
  
"Hello Sara. Long time no see. I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid me."  
  
Her heart stopped. She recognized his voice. Blake.  
  
"Now, don't try anything stupid or I will be forced to kill you. Do as I say and you won't get hurt. Maybe." He laughed evilly.  
  
Yeah right. She thought to herself. He was going to kill her anyways; after all, he is insane. She decided right then and there that he wasn't going to let him win. She wasn't going to go down without a fight. She thrashed out, trying everything in her power to get out from underneath his grasp. The result of her efforts was a blow to the side of her face.  
  
"Now, now Sara. I told you not to try anything. Now you are going to have to pay." And with that he shoved her onto the ground.  
  
TBC 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry I took so long finishing this story, but it's finally done! Almost a year later, but it's done.  
  
**********  
  
Nick looked up ahead to see two figures struggling. He heard a scream through the pounding rain and roaring winds. It didn't rain often in Nevada, but when it did rain, it rained.  
  
He took off at an abrupt pace and sped up when he heard the scream a second time. He heard footsteps not far behind him and turned around to see Warrick racing after him.  
  
As he approached the scene, he saw Sara lying on the ground trying to fight off what looked to be a man, with a knife aimed at her heart.  
  
"Get off of her!" Nick shouted and ran towards him, ready to attack.  
  
The man looked up and grinned before plunging the knife straight into her chest. She screamed in pain and then went limp.  
  
"No!" Nick shouted, stopping dead in his tracks.  
  
Blake laughed evilly, and slowly rose to his feet. He raised his knife and walked leisurely towards him. Nick drew his gun from its holster. His hands shaking he aimed the automatic at Blake. He waited until he was two feet in front of him and fired.  
  
The shot was deafening. Nick hit him dead center in the chest and he fell backwards. Blood starting oozing out of the gaping hole that now inhabited his chest.  
  
Nick stood there for a moment, paralyzed with shock. Warrick came up behind him and said something he couldn't comprehend. Finally he snapped out of it and remembered Sara lying on the wet grass and ran towards her.  
  
"We have to call an ambulance!" He shouted to Warrick.  
  
"Already done." He replied, taking off his jacket to use to help control the bleeding.  
  
"What about him?" Nick asked pointing towards Blake.  
  
"He's dead." Warrick said as he and Nick turned their attention to Sara.  
  
"Please don't die on me Sara." Nick pleaded. "I love you, and I don't think I could bear to live and never get to see your face or hear your voice again." He cried.  
  
"Her pulse is weak." Warrick informed him. "Where's that damn ambulance?"  
As if on cue, a siren could be heard in the background. "Come on Sara, you can do it, just hold on a little longer, help is on the way."  
  
The ambulance arrived and two paramedics loaded her onto a gurney and into the ambulance. "Is it ok if we ride with her?" Nick asked, one of the paramedics.  
  
"Only one of you can come." He replied.  
  
"You go." Warrick insisted. "I'll go let everyone else know and meet you down there."  
  
Nick climbed into the back of the ambulance and took a seat next to Sara, on the bench opposite the paramedic.  
  
"I need the adrenaline now!" The paramedic working on her shouted.  
  
Nick grabbed her hand and urged her to hold on.  
  
**********  
  
They reached the hospital within minutes and Sara was rushed through emergency, and straight into the operating room. Nick was forced to stay in the waiting room.  
  
Nick sat with his head in his hands, praying that Sara will make it. "God, I know I haven't been as faithful and loyal as I should have been, but I really need you to do this one thing for me. I promise I won't ask you for anything else if you save Sara. She doesn't deserve to die. Please, this is all I ask."  
  
About 10 minutes later, Grissom entered the hospital, followed by the entire team, including Greg. "How are you doing?" Catherine asked, taking a seat next to Nick, and grabbing hold of his hand.  
  
"I'm doing ok, all things considered." Nick replied. "Wait a second, if you guys are all down here, who's running CSI?" He asked, really confused.  
  
"I made a few phone calls and Ecklie's team agreed to cover for us." Grissom smiled.  
  
"So, now all we have to do is wait." Nick said.  
  
"I hate to interrupt," Bras said, "But I need to ask you and Warrick a few questions."  
  
*******  
  
A few hours and many questions later, the doctor emerged from the O.R. still wearing her scrubs.  
  
"Are you Sara Sidle's family?" She asked.  
  
"We're her co-workers, her family hasn't arrived yet." Grissom replied.  
  
"How's she doing?" Nick interrupted impatiently.  
  
"She going to be alright." The doctor replied. "The knife barely missed her heart. An inch t the left and she would have been a goner. You may see her now if you wish, but only 2 at a time. If you have any questions, have the nurse page me." She said, before walking back towards the O.R.  
  
********  
  
The trip to Sara's hospital room was made in silence. Nobody knew quite what to say. Upon reaching it, they decide that Nick and Warrick would go in first. They both entered the room and walked casually towards Sara's bed.  
  
She looked awful. Her face was pale and bruised. Warrick spoke first. "Hey Sara, how are you doing?"  
  
"Ok, I guess." She replied. She was still a little groggy from the anesthetics.  
  
"That's good. Get better soon, ok?" He said and Sara smiled.  
  
Nick approached the bed and grabbed Sara's hand. She looked at him, confusion about his weird behavior spreading across her face. "Sara, there's something I need to tell you..." Warrick took this as his cue to leave the room.  
  
"This isn't easy for me to say, but I..." He sighed, "I love you Sara. I guess I always have, I just never realized it until it was almost too late. When I thought you might die, I realized that I can't live without you." He turned his head, afraid to look her in the eye, not wanting to see her reaction.  
  
"Nick, I feel the same way. All those times we flirt and carry on really meant something to me. I was just afraid to tell you because you flirt with everyone. I didn't think it meant anything to you."  
  
"It meant a lot to me too." He leaned down and hugged her gently, careful of her stitches.  
  
"Now we just have to tell Grissom. How do you think he'll react?" Sara asked.  
  
"I don't know, and I don't care." Nick replied, grinning.  
  
"I love you Nick."  
  
"I love you Sara."  
  
The End  
  
A/N: Awww! Wasn't that sweet. That was my pitiful attempt and being mushy. Lol. I thought it was cute. A little corny but cute. Anyways, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review this story, it really means a lot to me. And thank you for your patience as it took me forever to finally finish it. Please let me know what you think. 


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